The Orchard Team Huddle

It's that time of year where I send my boys out to my flower bed to take their pictures.  I don't know why exactly I started there.  It is my favorite spot in my yard when everything is in bloom.  Maybe I was looking for an excuse to pose my boys in front of a girly background but thought I could get away with it since it was only back to school shots.  Whatever the reason, it is now a tradition that MUST continue!  Here is Douglas on the first day of 9th grade.   Apparently he is too cool to smile.  9th grade is big stuff.  His schedule is not so fun.  I remember taking Geometry.  I was MUCH better at Algebra.  I hope he doesn't need any help with his homework.  I didn't really love dissecting things either but I bet he enjoys that one.  Class   Teacher   1. ENGLISH 9 HONORS - (040900-01)  S. GREEN  2. TEACHER AIDE - (068956-02)  T. DECORA     3. RELE...

A few years ago we offered a fantastic incentive to Douglas.  The deal was...earn your Eagle Scout award and Dad will take you to a professional baseball game wherever you choose.  We always have skymiles so it sounded pretty reasonable.  Well, the Eagle was earned and when it came time for us to pay up there was just one minor little complication, the economy!  Three years ago we had no idea the market would be where it is today.  So, we turned Douglas loose on his planning and had to tweak it just a bit.  He originally thought he wanted to go to Tampa Bay to watch the Rays.  Where did that come from?  I think he was thinking beaches and sun and pina coladas which were never in the deal to begin with.  As we started researching the trip to Florida we found that the skymiles we had saved up wouldn't get them there, the hotel would be a little pricey not to mention the 6 hour flight if you are lucky enough to go straight through.  I was a...

This is our new little niece and cousin, Sarah Elizabeth Hunt.  She came to us on July 30th and is the sweetest little thing ever.  I have held lots of little baby boys and they are just as heavenly but I can sense this little girl's sugar and spice and everything nice and I am totally in LOVE with her.  Don't you think this little dress I picked out is so adorable.  I do! And, while I am on the subject of heavenly things...we were able to make a little escape to a magical and heavenly place where a little boy hikes around a lake, fishing pole in hand with a spring in his step and a million things to talk about... where there are rocks and worms and dirt and fish... and his dad teaches him how to cast. It's a place where a medium boy wants to catch a fish so badly but kind of has his own idea of how to do it so he waits, and waits and waits until he is finally willing to ask for help.  And then the magic begins... A big boy can practice a new skill but ...